Urdu/Vocabulary/Greetings

Normally when one refer to an unknown person or an elder one, one always says aap the formal you. On the other hand, tum is used as an informal 'you'. Tum is also used for friends, intimate relationships and also for children and other people who may be younger than the speaker. Sometimes other words also may be used to refer to people like 'Sahab Jii(Male)', Bhai Sahab(Male), Bhai Jee(Male), Bahan Jii(Female), Aunty(Female), Nana(Old Male) and Sir Jii(in office for Male).

Greetings in Urdu are either related to religion or otherwise non-religious. Normally 'Assalam-o-alakium', a religious greeting, is still the most common greeting for all age groups, kya haal hay(how are you?) is also commonly used among the new generation.

Normally Greetings have a great difference in East and West. In west, good morning, Bon Appetit, Thank You, Sorry, You are welcome have become mandatory. As Allama Iqbal said, the West is nothing but Tukaluf(Greetings), East is just the opposite. In Eastern Culture, if you will say Thank you unnecessarily, they may be become angry. Normally if a person is mute, it means that you are affirmative to the situation. In Pakistan, if somebody will feel bad, he will say it of course.

Accha and Haan is the most commonly used word for affirmation or confirming that one is understood with the situation. The older generation who migrated from India to Pakistan uses mostly 'Thiik Hay.